Bookstart in Walsall
Bookstart in Walsall
Bookstart is a national programme that encourages parents and carers to share and enjoy books with their children, from as early an age as possible. The aim is to provide a free pack of books to every baby in the UK, to inspire, stimulate and create a love of reading that will give them a flying start in life.
Research shows that babies and toddlers who love books begin reading sooner and go on to fare better at school, in all areas of the curriculum.
But most of all, the aim is to show that books are fun!
Bookstart in Walsall is delivered through a partnership between Education Walsall, Walsall Primary Care Trust and Walsall Libraries. Three free packs are available for children, all contain 2 books and a wealth of supporting information such as booklists and number friezes:
The first (Bookstart Baby) is given out through Health Visitors at babies 4 month health check
The second (Bookstart +) is given at the child’s 2½ year check
The third (My Bookstart Treasure Chest) is given at 3-4 years in the child’s nursery year.
This can be through private day care, playgroups or school nurseries
All packs can be collected through Walsall Libraries if you think your child has missed getting one through the usual routes
In support of the Bookstart scheme, Walsall Libraries run parent and baby sessions to further encourage book sharing and library use. Sessions include, rhyme time, play, story time and occasional craft activities. For further details, visit Parent and Child page
Children under 5 can also take part in the Bookstart Bookcrawl and receive certificates for visiting the library.
Please contact your local library for more details of our fun sessions.
For more information on the Bookstart scheme visit www.bookstart.co.uk
For more information on Bookstart in Walsall please contact
Alison Dunn, Early Years Librarian, Walsall Libraries and Heritage on
DunnAlison@walsall.gov.uk or 01922 659555